The anxiety of being watched can have a disastrous effect on one's performance, according to a new study published in the Scientific Reports in January 2016. The team of neuroscientists at the University of Sussex's Sackler Centre for Consciousness and Brighton and Sussex Medical School, headed by Dr. Michiko Yoshie, used a functional magnetic resonance neuroimaging (fMRI) to identify the brain network system that is responsible for performance mishaps.

Dr. Yoshie and his associates – Professor Hugo Critchley, Dr. Neil Harrison and Dr. Yoko Nagai – observed the brain activity of the participants while they were engaged in a task that required them to exert a considerable amount of force. In the next step, they monitored the performance of participants whom they believed were evaluating their performance and of those who appeared to be evaluating the performance of someone else. Interestingly, participants were found to be more anxious when they were being observed which made them grip the object harder.

The results showed that the area of the brain known as the inferior parietal cortex (IPC), which controls sensorimotor functions, gets deactivated when people realize they are being observed. Precisely, IPC jointly works with another region – the posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS) – to form the action-observation network (AON) that lets us know what another person is thinking.

"We realized that AON might also be related to performance anxiety because when being scrutinized, we tend to care about how the audience is feeling about us and our performance," Dr. Yoshie, the lead author of the study, said in a statement.

"It's important to believe that the audience is supporting you and wishing for your successful performance. To strengthen such belief, you should sometimes have opportunities to perform in front of your supporters. For example, before an actual public performance, a musician could perform in front of his/her family and close friends and receive a lot of applause. Such experience would help you to induce a desirable activation pattern in your brain and boost self-confidence," she added.

Who is at risk?

Everyone feels anxious when faced with a problem at home or workplace, which is a normal part of life. Anxiety is a type of fear usually associated with the thought of a threat or something going wrong, which does not go away and can even get worse over time. Usually, anxiety disorders develop from a set of risk factors, including genetics, brain chemistry, personality and life events. A person may experience anxiety with several other conditions such as panic disorder, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder and social anxiety disorder (social phobia).

It may show any of the following symptoms:

  • Feelings of apprehension or dread
  • Being tensed
  • Restlessness or irritability
  • Anticipating the worst and being watchful for signs of danger
  • Feelings of panic, fear and uneasiness
  • Cold or sweaty hands and/or feet

According to a 2014 report by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults aged 18 and older, or 18 percent of the adult population. People with an anxiety disorder are three to five times more likely to go to the doctor and six times more likely to be hospitalized for psychiatric disorders than those who do not suffer from this mental condition.

The way forward

Anxiety can be triggered by the pressures of everyday responsibilities and can cause a variety of symptoms, which can affect the overall health and wellbeing. No matter how big the stress is, one still has a control over his or her lifestyle, thoughts and emotions. For those with extreme performance anxiety, there are brain stimulation techniques, such as the transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), which can help activate the desired behavior. Patients can also consider a neurofeedback (NFB) training, which can help them control their own brain activity.

Disrupting many lives, stress is a serious disorder worldwide and needs immediate treatment. If you are unsure about your symptoms and still feel uneasy, do seek professional help. The anxiety disorders treatment centers Colorado are among the best in the region.

If you or your loved one is struggling with anxiety, the Anxiety Treatment Advisors of Colorado can help you get the best anxiety disorders treatment in Colorado. Call us today for a referral to an effective treatment program at 866-891-2539. The option of professional treatment allows individuals greater odds of leading happier and healthier lives. 

Source : articlesbase.com

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